Just A Promise
by Hagane-no-angel
Summary: What is really a promise? Is it just a group of words that can be easily forgotten? Ten years after Sakura's unsuccessful attempt to find Sasuke, she will discover that a promise just might be the way to happiness... Yes, yes, it has some romance.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters (unless I decide to throw in an original dude, but that's very unlikely).

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Ten years have passed since Haruno Sakura saw the village of Konoha last. Now she was back. She left her home pursuing the one she thought would make her dreams come true, only to find that he would make her suffer more than she ever imagined. That was a thing of the past, however, and she told herself that she had to forget about him even though she still loved him more than anything.

Everything, from the streets, to the buildings, to the beauty of the starry sky…all she had left behind looked the same as she had seen it so many times before. Of course, appearances can be deceiving. Konoha was very different now, but she didn't care. She was only hoping that **he** would still be there, waiting for her. He was always able to erase all heavy and painful thoughts that otherwise wandered her mind. _Perhaps he could do it one more time…_

Sakura walked through the streets of the village, well aware of where she was going. She had walked the same path countless times years ago. She found the apartment she was looking for, a small room that had been the home of a mischievous boy for many years. She knocked on the door, and it opened. An old woman showed up at the entrance and gave Sakura a puzzled look.

"Um…excuse me; does Uzumaki Naruto still live here?" Sakura managed to ask, although the answered was clearly obvious.

"I'm sorry, young lady…" The woman answered. "…I haven't heard anything of this 'Naruto' person you're looking for. No one but me has lived here for quite some time now."

"I see…well, thank you very much anyway." Sakura said with a smile and left.

What was there to do now? He **had **to be in the village…He would not abandon his precious home, unlike other people she knew. The only problem was to find him now that he had moved. Wondering where to go next, she continued walking until she saw a somewhat familiar face approaching. He had long hair, black as the darkest of nights. In contrast, his skin was pale and his eyes clear as day. His strong and yet gentle features locked on her face. Just then, she noticed that he was holding a young child of no more than two years of age. The boy had the same black hair as his caretaker, but his eyes were different. She couldn't quite point the difference since it was so dark that night, but she sensed some familiarity in them. Quite strange, really…

"Neji-san?" She said in a shy voice.

"…Sakura…is that really you?"

"Uh huh"

"It's been so long since I last saw you. Did you just get here?"

"Yeah. A couple of hours ago."

"I see…well, uh…I couldn't help but notice where you're coming from. Are you looking for Naruto?"

"Yes"

"If you want, I can take you where he lives now. I'm headed there anyway."

Sakura's face lit up. It was clear that she had hoped for this moment. She was about to see him once more.

"Thank you Neji-san" Sakura whispered in a relieved tone.

As the two walked together, side by side, they started a conversation. True, Neji was not the best talker in the world, always so serious and all, but Sakura had obtained the rare trait of being able to talk to anyone about anything. She couldn't help but mention the little boy Neji was carrying. Based on the resemblance, she assumed he had been 'busy' all this time.

"Eh? Oh…no, this child isn't mine." He said; his pale cheeks gaining a pinkish tone. "He belongs to Hinata-sama."

Now she could see why they looked so similar. Practically an uncle and a nephew, it was no surprise.

"I see." Sakura replied. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay. I…get that a lot when he's with me, but I'm used to it by now."

"I noticed that you get along well."

"Well, yeah…I do visit often, when I'm not in a mission, of course. We spend a lot of time together…" Neji suddenly stopped in the middle of a sentence and indicated that they had finally reached their destination. "Here we are."

"The group was standing in front of a huge mansion that Sakura had never seen before. Thinking about it, it made sense since the building itself looked brand new. What didn't make sense, however, was Naruto living in a place like that. What in the world **had** happened while she wasn't there? Well, it really didn't matter. The girl was about to see him again and all her problems would go away. He would take care of her. He said so…ten years ago.

Neji announced their arrival. Footsteps were heard approaching and the door opened slowly. A tall, blond young man appeared at the entrance and smiled. His deep blue eyes shone in response to the moonlight that began to illuminate the night. He wasn't a little boy anymore, but his soul had remained intact.

"Wow! Sakura-chan, I can't believe it! You've finally come back!" He told her excitedly.

She smiled. She wanted to tell him how much she'd missed him. She wanted him to hug her and tell her that everything was going to be okay from then on and that he would never leave her, unlike the love of her life…She wanted to, but she couldn't. A word was spoken. A word that should never make anyone feel miserable, but this time, it did. The child repeated it countless times, calling desperately for his dad while trying to reach for the blonde. Naruto's smile grew wider as he grabbed the boy.

Sakura felt as if a tidal wave had taken her with it. Her vision blurred as warm tears kept running trough her cheeks. She couldn't take it anymore and left the spot without thinking. Naruto handed the boy back to Neji and ran after the girl.

"Sakura-chan, please stop!" He said, accelerating. He knew why she had reacted that way. It was a painful memory Naruto wished he could forget, but it was impossible…

:Flashback:

_The young girl was leaving the village. No one could stop her. She was determined to find her love and make her wishes come true. The boy looked at her with his clear deep blue eyes; the serious expression didn't quite fit him. He was always so cheerful that she couldn't help but feel guilty for being the cause of his sorrow. He begged for her not to go and told her he would do anything if she stayed. She refused._

_"But why, Sakura chan! You have everything you could ever want here. We don't even know where he is! What if you never find him!"_

_"I'm sorry Naruto, but I must go. You know how much I love Sasuke-kun…"_

_"Sasuke! Sasuke! It's always about Sasuke! Why can't you think about **me** for once? Better yet… why can't you think about **yourself**?"_

_There was a complete silence as both stared at each other. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he allowed her to leave._

_"Fine Sakura-chan…I now know that no matter what I do, I can't stop you. The only thing left for me to do is promise you that I'll be here when you come back. I promise to wait for you forever."_

_"No, Naruto. Please don't make this harder than it already is. You just told me to think about myself, why don't you take your **own **advice? I… won't be coming back. I don't think it's fair for you to waste your life hoping for something that simply cannot be. You're the nicest boy I know and someone who truly deserves happiness, so please find it…without me."_

_"I can't do that, Sakura-chan. There's no happiness in my life without you…no matter what, I **promise** I'll wait for you. Even if it takes an eternity for you to return, I'll be here."_

_Although she could hardly hold back her tears, she gave him a smile. It was the least she could do for him._

_Unfortunately, things didn't resolve as he intended to. People like him are very impatient, and after a few years, he began to notice the way Hinata would look at him. They started a beautiful friendship that ended up being more than that, much more. Naruto had forgotten his childish infatuation and had fallen in love with Hinata. They had formed a precious family together._

:End of Flashback:

The blonde finally caught up to her.

"Sakura-chan…"

"Naruto…sob…I'm sorry. sob I'm so sorry…I-I was being so selfish, so caught up in finding my own happiness that I completely ignored yours. I-"

"Sakura, for the second time in my life I've broken a promise to you. I've failed you and I've given you false hope. I realized that your happiness is not with me; however, there is one promise that I've always kept, ever since I met you…I swore I would never leave you alone and that I would always protect you. Believe me, **nothing **would make me brake that promise, ever."

"Oh, Naruto…"

They both embraced each other tightly, but it wasn't a symbol of love; it was a sign of understanding, forgiving, and, above all, a sign of friendship, a bond that could never be broken.

Come to think of it, it was better this way. She was about to force herself, and her best friend, to live a fantasy. A mirage that, if dissipated, would bring misery to both. Sakura was lost in these thoughts when she heard a familiar voice. After all these years, she could still recognize the voices of all her former classmates. _Shikamaru?_She thought. His voice getting louder and louder, Sakura could not only recognize his voice, but also the words forming in his mouth: he was looking for the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, where are you!"

Suddenly, the blonde behind her yelled back. "What is it Shikamaru?" Surely he was asking out of curiosity, right? There was absolutely **no **way he could be Hokage yet, was there? What about Tsunade-sama? But then, why was Shikamaru approaching them?

"Hokage-sama… I've… finally found you…" said the young man out of breath. He had probably been looking for the Hokage for quite a while.

"What's the matter?" Naruto asked again, a little impatiently. That was his nature and not even in one hundred years will he be able to change it.

"We have an emergency!...A group of shinobi is invading the village…we don't know much about them, but they seem pretty strong…They're presumed to be Orochimaru's followers!"

Naruto's expression instantly changed. "What! Orochimaru making a move now!" He turned to face pink-haired girl behind him. "Sakura-chan, please go back to my house. Neji should still be there. Tell him what has happened. He should have no trouble finding us."

"Okay" She nodded.

"One more thing, Sakura-chan…please, be careful…"

"Don't worry. It may not seem like it, but I've gotten pretty strong" She said as to comfort him, but it wasn't a lie. She had chased after her love, but it became clear after a short time that he would not accept her, so she decided to make herself stronger, thinking that she might just prove herself **worthy** of him; however, after long years of training, she wasn't able to face him despite all her effort and suffering. But perhaps it wasn't his entire fault. Perhaps he was just a lovely memory now. Perhaps Orochimaru had actually obtained what he desired. There was no way of knowing, and that was the reason she decided to finally return home and try to start anew, but of course, fate had different plans for her, or at least it seemed that way…

As fast as she could, Sakura headed towards Naruto's home, but a tall silhouette abruptly blocked her way. It was really dark, but she could recognize that figure anywhere, no matter how long it was since last time she had seen him. He approached her slowly and the moon illuminated his face, and now she was certain. So he was **still **alive, eh? But what was he doing there? Had he just returned? Why was he intercepting her? Was it possible that he remained under Orochimaru's command? She didn't know what to think, let alone what to say. She could only manage to whisper his name…

"Sasuke-kun…"

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Well, here's chapter one, I hope everyone likes it - To be honest, I wasn't planning to post this fic. There were several reasons. #1: English is not my native language. #2: It's my first serious fic. #3: I'm afraid of failure #4: I may not have time to update (unless I get a lot of reviews, in which case I **will** make time) #5: Neji is not the star of the fic. #6: Sasuke went to see Orochimaru and I still love him ¬¬ #7: many, many other reasons.

Anyway, questions? Comments? Leave reviews and I'll be glad to reply. Remember it will depend on you whether or not I continue the story. So please review, k? (constructive criticism is also accepted)


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